8/6/2019 2010 So, Canada Endorsed the UN Declaration of Indigenous Rights

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/2010-so-canada-endorsed-the-un-declaration-of-indigenous-rights 1/4

http://intercontinentalcry.org/so-canada-endorsed-the-un-declaration-

of-indigenous-rights/ 

So, Canada Endorsed the UN Declaration of Indigenous Rights?

By John Schertow – November 23, 2010

On November 12, 2010, Canada became the 148th country to endorse 

the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

(UNDRIP). That leaves only the United States which is still reviewing its

position on the declaration.

Photo by Barriere Lake Solidarity

The endorsement is a fairly important milestone for Indigenous Rights,

even though the declaration is considered to be “legally non-binding.”

After all, Canada has been one of the most vocal opponents  of the

8/6/2019 2010 So, Canada Endorsed the UN Declaration of Indigenous Rights

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/2010-so-canada-endorsed-the-un-declaration-of-indigenous-rights 2/4

declaration. In fact, few people realize that they even tried to bribe

some African states in 2006 to delay the declaration’s passage. At least,

that was the rumour. 

Since then, a lot of people have come to look at Canada as, shall wesay, a “huckster doofus”. It’s a pretty morbid joke though, like when a

UN report revealed that Canada wasn’t really  8th on the United Nations

human development scale“… It’s real rank was 48th, placing it

somewhere between Argentina and Kuwait.

Why did Canada suddenly rank so low? Because the economic and

social well-being of Indigenous People was factored in.

That said, Canada’s endorsement  of the declaration seems like a bit of 

 joke too, as Mohawk Activist Ben Powless has pointed out. For starters,

Canada decided to make the announcement “on a Friday afternoon,

right after they announced major plans with the Afghanistan war,” says

Powless. But it was only posted online. “[There was] no press

conference where people could ask clarifying questions, no informing

Indigenous Peoples, just a passive admission on a website.”  

Adding injury to insult, Canada tried to portray itself in the

announcement as some sort of noble champion; as if they’re doing

everything in their power to right historical wrongs and build a new

relationship with Indigenous People “based on good faith, partnership

and mutual respect.” 

The rhetoric just doesn’t sit with the reality. For instance, there are five

ongoing blockades in four Provinces right now, because Canada won’t

respect Indigenous Peoples’ right to consent or consultation and

accommodation. On top of that, there are at least a dozen other “hot

spots” where blockades could be on the way, again, because of 

Canada’s suppression and avoidance of those basic rights. And let’s not

8/6/2019 2010 So, Canada Endorsed the UN Declaration of Indigenous Rights

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/2010-so-canada-endorsed-the-un-declaration-of-indigenous-rights 3/4

forget dozens upon dozens of blockades, protests and lawsuits that

have been aimed at Canada and the Provinces in recent years.

On top of that, the “economic and social well-being” of Indigenous

People hasn’t improved at all in recent years. In fact it’s probablygetting worse, especially since Canada decided to cut their funding to

134 indigenous healing centres which were largely dedicated to helping

residential school survivors.

Then there’s the waste problem in Canada. For instance, how there

aren’t any laws to stop companies from dumping their toxic waste onto

reserve lands—or how Canada won’t remediate the 4,464 toxic sites on

reserve. According to the Auditor General of Canada, it would costunder $200 million to clean these sites. But Canada chooses not to

spend the money.

Finally, there’s the matter of  physical health in Canada. Even though Dr.

David Butler-Jones, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, downplayed it

in his 2008 Annual Report on the State of Public Health in Canada, there

is a major gulf between the health of average Canadians and

Indigenous Peoples in Canada. From youth suicide to Infant mortalityrates, homelessness to “substandard” housing, unsafe water to obesity,

chronic diseases to infectious diseases and the list goes on. The

numbers are all higher for the Indigenous population.

It’s all pretty daunting, like a dam that could burst at any moment. And

despite the pronouncements, the reality is that Canada seems more

interested in stuffing paper into all the little cracks than actually fix the

dam—or better yet, take it down completely.

Only, were not talking about dams or pieces of paper or numbers or

even words on some website. We’re talking about human beings.

That’s what makes Canada’s endorsement a little difficult to accept. But

even so, it is an important milestone. And more importantly, it gives us

8/6/2019 2010 So, Canada Endorsed the UN Declaration of Indigenous Rights

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/2010-so-canada-endorsed-the-un-declaration-of-indigenous-rights 4/4

another tool to compel Canada to respect Indigenous Rights and to

treat Indigenous People as friends and equals rather than enemies and

subordinates.

Organizations like Amnesty International Canada, the First NationsSummit, the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs and the First

Peoples Human Rights Coalition have already started the push, along

with the Chiefs of Ontario, the Council of Canadians, the Dene Nation,

Samson Cree Nation, Treaty 4 Chiefs, Treaty 6 Medicine Chest Task

Force and others.

As long as they keep it at –and many others join in –than it’s only a

matter of time before Canada starts walking it talk and respecting allthe basic rights enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the

Rights of Indigenous Peoples.